The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-09

that deserved to be united to such lowell
n. >ss-yet the gods mated Venus and Vul-
can The Swedish Captain was speeches.
With q tmiration. l acted as his ambassa-
1or ana Informed her how desperately in
love he va. :, and that he was determined
70 save her ~ lose his life in the attempt
She was now ..re,' to act for herself, but L
was suIe that If she married him She would
have IoYing hus. Namd As had been
concerned in her res. Hue from captivity
felt it my right, as well ~ my duty, 10 urge
her to accept him. She 10 not utter q
word, but remained perfect, passive. !
advised MIN to leave the cabin a.o get MS
| ship under way at once Ny boat - crew
would assist him The vessel must be C''g
side the harbor, said, before daylight, and
| before sunrise be well into the Sea CT Mar
mora And so we parted.
1t was five o'clock when l reached my
| ship. Sleep was out of the question. The
events Of the previous few days were like
dream out of which had just awakened
The consequences might have been serious
to me. But was always ready for sdven-
lures, and had been in many predicament
equally hazardous. / lived. as all young
sailors live, on romance and daring. The
arating to me as champagne is to wine
bibber
In the morning was visited by several
OF the captains who had been my guests of
the night before. They had felt some fear
for our safety when they learned that a
conflict had taken place between the guard
in the street we passed through and a band
Of Greek robbers. Two of the robbers had
been killed. These must have been our
pursuers, who, after we had eluded them,
had returned and attacked the guard. They
were overpowered by a company OF soldiers
from the fort, who were making their
rounds to relieve the guard. OF course ]
knew nothing of what had become of the
Swedish Captain. l assured them that he
went safely on board, and was to have
sailed at sunrise, and that, as the wind was
fresh and fair 1 supposed he was of. /
felgned an attack of rheumatism as an ex-
cuse for not going ashore that day. The
following day our Consul, hearing l was
sick, came on board. From him learned
one of the wives of Pasha of the army had
made her escape by the aid, it was sup
posed, of the Greek robbers, some of whom
had been captured and would be executed
unless they told where their companions
and the captive were to be found. 1t was
supposed that she was held for a ransom.
A rigid search was made on board all the
Greek vessels, of which there were many
lying in the harbor, but, Of course, the
lady was not found.
Our Consul, l think, had his suspicious as
to the manner Of the lady's escape from the
palace. He asked me to dine with him, say
ing that l, being person so well known in
Pera, would be missed il did not go ashore
lel,o
his advice, and dined with him, remaining
all night at the Consulate, which he insisted
upon my making my home for the rest Of
my stay. He was too much OF q gentleman
to question me, whatever he may have
thought, and 1 deemed it advisable, because
of his official position, to keep him in ignor.
ance of my part in the affair.
/ will here give the sequel. Nine years
later, while in command of the clipper-ship
Dreadnaught, arriving in New York one day
made fast at my usual berth at the foot of
Rector street, when Captain Hope, Sandy
Hook pilot who was harbormaster at the
time boarded my vessel and told me that a
Swedish brig was lying at Pier s. and that
her Captain was very anxious to meet me be
fore he sailed. The Constantinople episode
had nearly passed from my mind in the ex-
citing years that had interviewed. As soon as
our gang-plank was hauled ashore lady and
gentleman came on board. Twas standing OF
the quarterback with some custcm-house
officers and passengers. The lady, whom
|, Immediately recognized, came forward and
embraced me with much warmth, and the
gentleman followed suit. The pleasure at
tending this happy meeting was shared by
all who witnessed it. 1t is needless to say
that the pair were the Swedish Captain
and the lady whom had assisted to escape
from Constantinople. That truth Is indeed
stranger than fiction is here exemplified.
After leaving Constantinople their Joy was
unspeakabie upon discovering that they
had been lovers in their childhood. She
was the flaxen-haired girl for whom my
friend had pinned so long. When they
parted as children her family went to Mos.
cow, where they remainee several years,
and where she had the adv Antage Of an ex-
cellent education and became a proficient
linguist. Her great beauty attracted uni
versal attention. She was courted by MANY,
but won by none. Her father received the
appointment OF Consul at Odessa, but he
gave up this place and migrated to Alex
andria, where he became grain exporter.
This frequently necessitated journeys into
the interior OF Egypt, and his beautiful
daughter was his constant companion.
During one OF these excursions their cara
van was assaulted by Arabs. The men were
slaughtered and robbed and the women
were disposed Of among the chiefs. She
fell to the lot OF one who sold her into the
harem, whence she was rescued by US.
When the pair arrived at Falmouth, after
the rescue, they were married and sailed
for Antwerp, where some of her jewels
were disposed of to purchase the brig
which he commanded when they paid their
visit to me on board the Dreadnaught. They
had sailed together around the world, but
this was their first voyage to New York.
Colonel Graham, now clerk of the Court of
Common Pleas, was custom-house officer in
charge Of my ship at that time, and he lives
to bear witness that he heard this remark.
able tale told in my cabin by the Swedish
Captain at that time. My friend the Capt
ain has since sold his vessel and retired
from sea-life.-"From The Forecdste to The
Cabin" By Captain s. SdnsueIs (Harpers.)